To schedule a 3D mammogram or total breast ultrasound, call:

Screening

Generally, women should start getting breast exams using mammography or ultrasound after they turn 40.

Women ages 18 to 39 should to talk to their primary care provider and ask for what’s called a formal risk assessment to see if screening is needed sooner. Make sure your care provider is giving you a breast exam starting at age 25.

It’s also a good idea to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can report any changes to your care provider.

For women age 75 and older, a mammogram is recommended every year if life expectancy is greater than five to seven years (based on age or multiple chronic conditions determined by your doctor).

3-D Digital Mammograms

Mammograms play an important role in early breast cancer detection because they can spot signs of cancer that are too small or subtle to feel.

In a traditional 2-D mammogram, the tech takes x-rays of the breast. These pictures can show the radiologist if there are any lumps or tumors you might not be able to feel.

The 3-D mammography technology at Renown Breast Health Center is largely the same, but more x-rays are taken and it takes a few seconds longer for each image. This kind of exam detects 41 percent more cancers and reduces the number of false-positive results given to patients.

This improvement in technology is great for both patients and their care providers. 3-D mammography provides better images which allow doctors to see more abnormalities in the breast and therefore, helps doctors spot more cancers and avoid false positives especially in women with dense breast tissue. The digital images can also be lightened, darkened and enlarged in real-time, giving doctors a better look at suspicious areas.

Patients with a high risk may be eligible for additional testing.

3D Total Breast Ultrasound

A 3D Total Breast Ultrasound uses soundwaves to detect cancerous tumors in the breast without any radiation – it’s an ultrasound just like pregnant women get to check up on their baby. And the exam only takes about 20 minutes.

We recommend these exams for patients whose mammograms have shown that they have dense breast tissue. Dense breast tissue and cancer both look white on a mammogram (right). As doctors explain, it's like trying to find a snowball in a snow storm.

If your mammogram shows you have dense breasts (less fatty, more connective tissue) you may want to consider a 3D Total Breast Ultrasound in addition to your 3D mammogram.

Check with your insurance company to find out if this type of ultrasound is covered.

Image A - Tiny cancers, which are white, are easily visible in fatty breasts, which show up dark on a mammogram.

Image B - Dense breast tissue shows up white on the mammogram. Cancers, which are also white, can be very hard to detect.

How is People-in-Line Calculated?

FastTrack ER

People-in-Line is the number of patients checked-in and waiting for a physician at a Renown Health ER or FastTrack ER.
We refer to this as our "door-to-doc" time. The number of people in line is updated every 10 minutes.

FastTrack ER

An ER nurse will determine the urgency and complexity of the care you need.
If your condition is less severe and requires no more than one hospital resource (X-Ray, lab tests, etc.) the ER nurse may assign you to a FastTrack ER where you will receive care sooner.

Urgent Care

People-in-Line is the number of patients checked-in at Renown Health Urgent Care waiting to be seen by a healthcare provider.
A patient's wait time may vary.

Urgent Care vs Emergency Care

There may be times when you want to see a healthcare provider right away but don't have serious or life-threatening condition.